In March 2024, we reported criticism the UK government was behind the curve in tracking the spread of new super-strength drugs.
We found more than 100 deaths had been linked to synthetic opioids called nitazenes between June 2023 and February 2024, through data obtained from the National Crime Agency.
Dr Mark Pucci, a doctor who had treated a number of patients who had taken the drugs, said flawed data collection methods meant the numbers were likely to be a significant underestimate.
In the week of publication, the UK government made 15 synthetic opioids Class A drugs.
Our story on the BBC website featured interviews with two people recovering from heroin addictions who had overdosed when they took nitazenes unwittingly.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) believed nitazenes were being produced in illicit labs in China and were entering the UK through the Royal Mail and other parcel operators.
It said in most cases, they were then cut and mixed with heroin by organised gangs, strengthening the drugs being sold on the street.
They had also been found in samples of illegal diazepam tablets, most likely bought online.
Diazepam - also known by one of its brand names, Valium - was a class-C drug in the UK, commonly used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms and seizures. It was illegal to possess without a prescription.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) told the BBC it was concerned about nitazenes in "fake medicines".
Alongside law enforcement agencies, DHSC had joined a cross-government taskforce to lead the response.
Critics, however, said the authorities had not acted fast enough to track non-fatal overdoses involving nitazenes.
We shared a story pack, complete with a detailed background, methodology and expert comment.
Interviews in the pack included:
- Dr Mark Pucci (he/him), a consultant in clinical toxicology in Birmingham and Sandwell, who treated the first person in the UK found to have taken a nitazene in July 2021, was a consultant for the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) and observed 13 patients who overdosed and survived between July and October 2023 among 19 who tested positive for the new drugs in blood and urine tests.
- Dr Judith Yates (she/her), a GP from Birmingham who collated data about drug deaths in the city, where several deaths linked to nitazenes took place in 2023.
- Charles Yates (he/him), deputy director of the National Crime Agency (NCA).
- Vicki Markiewicz (she/her), one of four Executive Directors responsible for service delivery at the charity Change Grow Live, which specialised in substance misuse and criminal justice intervention projects in England and Wales.
- Charlie Mack (he/him) , chief executive of the charity Cranstoun, which provided services for adults and young people facing difficulties with alcohol and other drugs, domestic abuse, housing and criminal justice.
- The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
- The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
In our accompanying Google Sheet we shared the following data broken by region:
- The most recently-updated figures for deaths linked to nitazenes from 1 June 2023-22 February 2024 through post-mortem toxicology results, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA)
- Deaths linked to nitazenes from 1 June 2023-31 December 2023 through post-mortem toxicology results, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA)
- Non-fatal overdoses associated with confirmed nitazenes from 1 June 2023-31 December 2023 as recorded by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)
- All suspected opioid non-fatal overdoses tracked from 1 June 2023-31 December 2023 as recorded by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)
The data from OHID was obtained by the BBC Shared Data Unit after requesting an internal review of an FOI response that was initially a refusal.
The story was used widely across the BBC, including as lead stories for both BBC Breakfast and Radio 4's Today programme. A television package was featured on BBC News at One and BBC News at Six and our report was viewed more than 1.8m times on the @bbcnews TikTok account
Four regional television outlets used the information including:
- North West Tonight (package)
- East Midlands Today (package)
- Midlands Today
- Look North
Thirty regional radio stations also used the story pack, including:
- London
- Stoke
- Lincolnshire
- Kent
- Bristol
- Wiltshire
The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to the wider news industry as part of the BBC Local News Partnership. Stories written by regional partners based on this research included:
- Birmingham Mail: Action demand as drugs 100 times stronger than heroin ravage Birmingham 20 March 2024.
- More Radio: Concern over new drug linked to 100 deaths since summer 20 March 2024.
- On the Wight: Government criticised for slow response to super-strength drugs 20 March 2024.
- STV News (Scotland): New synthetic drugs up to 500 times stronger than heroin banned as deaths soar 20 March 2024.
- Quest Media Network - Tameside Radio, Tameside Reporter, Oldham Reporter, Glossop Chronicle: Stark warning over spread of synthetic drugs 20x stronger than heroin 22 March 2024.
- West Wales Chronicle: RISING SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS ABUSE CAUSES DEATHS 26 March 2024.
- The Llanelli Standard: Rising Synthetic Opioids Abuse Causes Deaths 26 March 2024.
- Chiswick W4.com: New Figures Show Six Deaths in London Linked to Synthetic Opiods 7 April 2024.
- The Sun: DEADLY DUST ‘Summer of death’ fears over drug that can kill with ‘grain of sand-sized’ hit… as LACK of heroin on UK streets blamed 20 March 2024.
- The Sun: 'MAJOR THREAT' Chilling warning of ‘mass deaths’ in UK from ‘Frankenstein’ drug users ‘are unaware they’re even taking’ 3 April 2024.
- Forbes: U.K. Bans Synthetic Opioids ‘500 Times More Powerful Than Morphine’ 20 March 2024.
- The Observer: UK ministers knew of ‘significant’ synthetic opioids threat two years ago 24 March 2024.
- Daily Mail: Doctor warns numbers of UK deaths linked to Chinese-made 'nitazenes' are 'the tip of the iceberg' as 14 types of the 'Frankenstein' opioid are made Class A drugs 20 March 2024.
- Daily Mail: The 'Franken-drug' that is flooding Britain and killing people in their droves. It's 300 times stronger than heroin and 20 times as potent as fentanyl - here's why experts are worried 21 March 2024.
- The Daily Telegraph (comment): Britain’s nihilistic new drugs culture reflects the state we’re in 20 March 2024.
- The Evening Standard (London) What are nitazenes? UK government is behind the curve in tracking new lethal drugs 20 March 2024.
- Daily Star: Fresh epidemic fears of 'zombies' overrunning UK towns in impending 'summer of death' 21 March 2024.
- Scottish Daily Express: ['Needless deaths' in crisis over drug use] 21 March 2024.
- This is Money: Doctor warns numbers of UK deaths linked to Chinese-made 'nitazenes' are 'the tip of the iceberg' as 14 types of the 'Frankenstein' opioid are made Class A drugs 20 March 2024.
- This is Money: The 'Franken-drug' that is flooding Britain and killing people in their droves. It's 300 times stronger than heroin and 20 times as potent as fentanyl - here's why experts are worried 21 March 2024.